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VOL-3
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפס
Hilchot Esurei Lashon Hara ערה ןושל ירוסיא תוכלה
Kelal Het 'ט ללכ - םייחה רוקמ

an apostate even if he says the entire Torah is G‑d given except ידֵי לעו ,םיִאנּקְַמ וֹא םיִליִאְמְשׂמוּ םיניִמימ םָשׁ אצמִּהל
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for one sentence or except for a single logical deduction made by
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our Chazal or a single novella learned from the juxtaposition of ץֹפּחי םִאו .*וֹתוּנגִבּ רפּסל וּאוֹבי )ז( ויחבְשִׁבּ ריִכּזיֶּשׁ
two sentences in the Torah or one single grammatical issue. (In קידּצו רֵשׁכל עדוֹנו םיִבּרַל קזחה רבכּ רֶשׁא ,םדא חבַּשׁל
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denying even these seemingly inconsequential details, this person
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has repudiated the Torah, denied the authority of Chazal and has אנּקְַמוּ אנוֹשׂ ינְפּ לע םגּ ,המְשׁאו הערָ וֹבּ אצְמנ אלֹ רֶשׁאו
rejected Hashem; he is an apostate!)
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,לֹכּה וּעדְי ,וּהנּגי םִאו ,וֹתוֹנּגל לכוּי אלֹ יִכּ ,וֹחבַּשׁל שׁי
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Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 201 .אוָשׁ רבּדּ ויִפּ רֶשׁא
K8/6. However this applies only if we ourselves heard first hand
this person expressing heresy. But if others told us he made remarks
that were heresy, it is forbidden to rely on what they have said and אבּה ,חבֶשׁבּ וֹרבח תא חבַּשׁלִּמ רהזִּל םדאל וֹל שׁי םגּ .ג
demean the victim, either in the victim’s presence or in his absence. ָ ַ ַ ְ ֵ ֲ ֶ ַ ֵ ְ ֵ ָ ָ ָ ְ ֵ ַ
Moreover, one may not conclusively believe this report since it is םסרְפיו ריִעה בוֹחרְִבּ אציֶּשׁ ,חרֵוֹאה ןינִעכּ )ח( ,דסְפה ידֵיִל
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forbidden just like any other remark that is Lashon Hara, as I wrote
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st
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above in the 6 Kelal (1 halacha). But at this very moment one היִּתְשׁוּ הליִכאבּ הבוֹט תיבּה לעבּ וֹלמגּ רֶשׁא תא ,לֹכּל
must suspect the veracity of what he has heard other people say םיקִירֵ םיִשׁנא וּטְקּלְתי הז ידֵי לע יִכּ ,הבּרְה וינפל חרַטו
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about the victim and discretely caution others (12) not to associate
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with him now until the the matter is clarified. All this is true only ןינִע לעו .וֹנוֹממ תא וּלּכיו תיבּה לעבּ תיבּ לא וּרוּסיו
if there was a generalized rumor circulating in society about this רקֶֹבּבּ לוֹדגּ לוֹקבּ וּהֵערֵ ךְרֵבְמ" :)ד"י ז"כ ילְשִׁמבּ( רמאנ הזכּ
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person. But if this victim is well known in society to be an apostate
Mekor Hachayim Be'er Mayim Chayim on page 203 לדֶֹגּ תא לֹכּל םסרְפְמוּ ,וֹרבח תאֵמ האולה גיִשִּׂה דחא םִא
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,ןידּה אוּהדּ ,דֹמלִל שׁי הזִּמוּ ."וֹל בֶשׁחֵתּ הללקְ - םכְּשׁה
(13), that is equivalent to hearing his remarks first hand.
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םיִשׁנא וילא וּצבּקְַתיֶּשׁ ,אוּה יוּצמ הז ידֵי לע יִכּ ,וֹתבוֹט
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K8/7. Understand even more, if this person is established in the
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.םהֵמ וֹמצע טֵמָשִּׁהל לוֹכי וֹניאו ,םיִערָ
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city as a Rasha for a variety of other sins (14) for which it would be
permitted to denigrate him, the law is also the same (15). (Please
see the necessarily relevant details as brought down in the Be’er
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Mayim Chayim). What is the definition of “established?” [Answer]
It means that society has concluded this person is a Rasha beyond
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ידֵיִל וֹמצע איִבה םִאו ,ערָה ןוֹשׁל רפּסְמִכּ וֹתוֹא וּנְתּיו
any doubt (because of the many bad stories constantly circulating ,וירָבדְִבּ דֵשׁחי אלֶֹּשׁ )ט( ,וֹנוֹשׁלוּ ויִפּ רֹמְשִׁל םדאה ביַּחו
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about this person concerning adultery and other illicit affairs he has .*ערָה ןוֹשׁל קבא ללכִבּ אוּה ,דָשׁחה
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had, behavior that is commonly known throughout Jewish society
to be sinful).
But if there was only a generalized rumor circulating about this
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volume 3 volume 3